Can opener



Aug. 12, 1952 B. B. HARTMAN ET AL 2,606,363

CAN OPENER Filed Feb. 11, 1946 2 SHEETS-SHEFET 1 1 0%8 I 3 I A\ ,,T 15 6 213 1 1 *5 Wm Imm- IN VEN TOR. Burron B. Harrm an L/oy d B. Harrm an ATTORNEY.

B. B.- HARTMAN El AL Aug. 12 1952 CAN OPENER 2 SPEETS-WS 2 Filed Feb. 11, 1946 m x K cm 5 5%! md 5L 1 V. B

Patented Aug. 12, 1952 V i 3::

" 4 CAN OPENER Burton'B. Hartman andLloyd B. Hartman; Wichita, Kans.

,[ ApplicationFebruary11,1946;SerialNo. 646,754

2 Claims. (01. 30-155) OurYinVention'relates to an improvement in can opener devices; One-object of. our invention isto provide a can opener that will cut the side of the can immediately below the end or top of the can and the top of the can will be held by the opener and be prevented from falling into the can.

A further object is to provide a can opener of the kind mentioned which, when the top of the can is cut therefrom, dirt," dust and the like will be prevented from falling into the contents of the can. This is a sanitary feature not provided for in can openers of the present day design and type.

A still further object is to provide a can opener f the kind mentioned that may be used as above stated and if the top of the can is not cut completely therefrom, the opener will have hold of the top and the remaining uncut portion of the side of the can may be bent in a hinge fashion by raising the can opener to lift the top of the can. 7

A still further object is to provide a can opener of the kind mentioned that is strong, durable and long lived, as well as one that is simple and not too expensive to make and sell. These and other objects will be more fully described as this description progresses.

Now referring to the accompanying drawings, in which similar numerals of reference designate the same parts throughout the several figures of the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top plan View of our improved can opener.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the can opener.

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the can opener.

Fig. 4 is a detail plan view of the can opener housing, the top plate of the housing being removed to show the parts contained in the housmg.

Fig. 5 is a side view of the can opener showing the opener, in cutting position, on a can.

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the can opener and can shown in Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view through'the can opener, the view being taken along the line VII--VII in Fig. 2.

In the drawings the can opener device is shown as having a housing A comprising a bottom I0, sides II and I2, a front wall I3, a rear wall I4, and a cover plate I5 on which is integrally formed a handle support element I6 on which is rigidly mounted a handle element I6a. The cover plate I5 is rigidly held on the housing A by means of rivets II, I8 and I90: which pass through the bottom plate I0 and the cover plate l5.

The device is provided with a V-shaped sharp edged knife or cutter B that is integrally formed on, and as apart of a U-shaped support element I9, and the ends of the legs of the U-shaped element I9 are turned outwardly as at I9a, and the rivets l1 and I8 also pass through the out turned leg ends I9a to rigidly hold the U-shaped element I9 on the bottom plate I0, and support the knife B in a position spaced from the bottom plate ID as showninFig. 2.

Positioned in the U of the U-shaped element 7 l9 and resting against the outside of the bottom plate I0 is a fiat faced roller 20 that is revolvably mounted on a rivet 2| that passes through the bend of the U-shapedelement I9, the roller 20 and the bottom plate III of the housing A, and holds theroller' 20 Well behind the point of the knife B. I I r The rear wall I4, and side wall I2'of the housing Ahave an opening 22 therein and through which passes a bell-cranklever 23 that is pivotally carried on the housing rivet I91. The end C of the bell-cranklever 23 is rockably positioned within the housing A while the end D of the bell-crank 23 projects from the housing A and along the handle element Mia and is rockable toward and away from the handle [6a.

In the housing A is a leaf spring 24, the central portion of which passes back of the rivet I! and between therivet l1 and side wall I and end wall I3 of the housing A, and one endof the spring 24 bears against the end wall I3 of the housing A while the other end of the spring 24 bears against the arm C of the bell-crank 23 so as to rock the lever portion C downwardly and the lever handle D outwardly from the handle IGa.

Revolvably mounted in the outer end of the lever portion 0 of the bell-crank 23 is a pin 25 that is in axial alignment with, and is integrally formed on one end of a shaft 25a, there being a shoulder 26 formed between the pin 25 and shaft 25a. A cross handle 21 is rigidly mounted on the other end of the shaft 25a and pin 25 may be revolved. A washer 28 is posihousing A, said arcuate slots are concentric with the rivet |9a:.

A toothed feeder wheel 3| having a hub 32 that is integrally formed thereon is pressed on the lower end of the pin 25 and preferably welded thereto to insure rigidity between the pin 25 and the feeder wheel 3|-32. The feeder wheel 3| revolvably rests against the outside surface of the bottom' lufof the housing A, and lies in the same plane with the roller 20.

The operation of the can opener device is as follows: The can opener is held over the top of a can and then moved downwardly in an inclined position, until the feeder wheel hub 32 rests on the top 33 of the can E, and the teeth of the feeder wheel 3| rests against the inside face of the upturned edge 34 of thecan E, and. the point of the cutter or knife B is directed toward the side of the can E at a point immediately below the top 33 of the can E. Now by pressing the bell-cranklever Dtowa-rd the'handle |6a, the feeder wheel 3| will be rocked toward the knife B and roller 20 as indicated by the dotted lines 25min Fig; 3, whereuponthe point of the knife B will have. pierced the side of-the can E and passed under the top 33 of the can E, and the rim or edge-34 of thecan topwill be firmly held between the teeth on the feeder wheel 3| and the roller 2!]. This having been done, the handle 21 may be .turned to revolve the shaft and pin 25a-25, and the feeder wheel 3|. which in turn will move or feed thewa'll of. the can E against the knife B which will cut thecan wallas indicated at F ineFig. 5. :This operation may be.continueduntil the, top is entirely; cutlfrom the can and is held .in the can opener; or the top of the can may not be cut from the can entirely, therefore the can opener maybe rocked upwardly and the can top will gowith it, and the uncut side portion of the can will bend in a hingefashion and s il h ld, t t the ca Tl e. rie qn er ne e n'c a o e scribed, lthe bell crank lever end D may be released and the leaf sp'rjing 24 will press the lever end .0 rearwardly, whereupon the feeder wheel 3| will release its hold'on the can top and the can opener may bereadilyremoved from the can top, 7.

Such modifications of our invention may be employed as lie within the scope of the appended claims without dep'artingfrom the spirit and intention of our invention. "Now having fully shown. and described our invention, what we H'. r.. r

' ment having a pointed knife integrally formed thereon, a stop roller, said stop roller being positioned in the ben of the U-shaped knife carrying element and in rear of the point of the knife, 2. bell crank lever element, said bell crank lever element being pivotally mounted in said housing element, one end of said bell crank lever being rockable toward and away from the said handle, the other end of said bell crank lever being rockable within said housing in directions toward and away from said stop roller and the point of said knife, a shaft, said shaft being revolvably carried by the said other end of said bell crank lever and extending through and beyond the opposite sides of said housing, the sides of said housing having arcuate slots therein to receive the said shaft and to permit the movement of said shaft therein toward and away from'said stop roller and the point of saidfknife, and means onone end of said shaft for revolving the shaft, a ratchet toothed feed wheel; said feed wheel being rigidly mounted on the other end of said shaft and revolvably resting against the outer face of the housing and being in alignment with the said stop roller; and means in said housing for yieldably rocking the said other end of said bell crank away from the said stop roller and knife.

2. In a can opener device of thekind described; the structure defined in claim 1, said means for yieldably rocking the last said end of the bell crank away from the stop roller and the point of the knife being a spring, one end of said spring bearing against one of the edge walls of said housing and the other end of said sprin bearing against the last said other end' of the bell crank.

BURTON B. HARTMAN. LLOYD B. HARTMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name 

